A Reason
by tripwatcher2
Summary: A crisis involving the Athosians brings John and Teyla closer together. The title can be taken many ways but mostly let's just say there's "A Reason" that Kanaan ain't happy! LOL! Rated M for future chapters. Also has a little bit of Ronon/Amelia.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: _I have this story almost complete and will be posting the next chapters fairly quickly. It carries an M rating 'cause things are gonna get steamy eventually!

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John walked slowly down the hallway. The team was supposed to be gathering in the mess hall for an informal lunch to celebrate Teyla and Torrin returning to Atlantis after having been gone to visit the Athosians for the last six days. To John, it felt like much longer since he had watched them walk through the event horizon and disappear.

Even now, his gut clenched at the thought of the happy little family reunion he envisioned happening as soon as they appeared on the other end of the wormhole that carried them back to _Him_. In his head, John knew it was irrational and selfish to wish Teyla would stop taking Torrin to see his father, but his heart – and gut – just wouldn't listen to logic.

Every time they left, John felt like a little piece of himself went with them. He had trouble sleeping and spent a lot of time working out in the gym or running to keep his mind off of the fact that Teyla was with _Him_.

And if he were to admit it, the biggest reason that he hated her going was that he was so afraid that one day she wouldn't return. One day, she was going to decide to take Torrin back to raise him with her people. John knew it was coming and was actually surprised but very, very grateful that it hadn't already happened.

John's jaw clenched as he watched Teyla half-heartedly joining in the conversation around her. Rodney, Jennifer, Radek, and Lorne kept up a fairly steady stream of talk and laughter, but Teyla kept her head mostly down, continuing to spoon pureed fruits and vegetables to Torrin. She hadn't even really looked at John at all since returning and his brow furrowed as he wondered what was bothering her. He was just about to try and broach that subject when Ronon walked up to the table.

"Hey Teyla, Little Man. Good to have you back." Ronon stood right behind Torrin who was sitting in a high chair at the end of the table. Torrin, now nine months old, looked all around and then finally up, in search of the owner of the deep voice. Ronon grinned down at the baby and lightly ruffled his soft hair.

John watched Teyla smile up at Ronon but noticed that the smile never quite made it to her eyes and quickly disappeared off of her face altogether. "Thank you, Ronon. It is good to be back. Now, if you all will excuse me, I think I will try to get Torrin to take a nap."

Teyla rose from her seat and gently lifted Torrin to her hip, then leaned down to gather up the remnants of her half-eaten lunch. John reached across the table and lightly touched her hand. "Hey, I'll um…I'll get that. You've got your hands full with him. I swear he's grown in just the few days since you guys've been gone."

This finally earned him a full blown Teyla-smile and the force of it shot straight to his heart causing that funny little flip-flop feeling that he had come to associate with her alone. "Yes, he is growing and changing so much each day." Again the sadness appeared around the edges of her eyes and she looked away.

To a chorus of good-byes and see you laters, Teyla and Torrin departed the mess hall. John watched until they turned a corner out of sight. He was still staring at the door when Ronon's form suddenly blocked his view as the big man turned Teyla's vacated chair backwards and straddled it, facing John across the table.

At Ronon's knowing look, John scowled and returned to his food, keeping his head down. He wasn't in the mood for any of Ronon's teasing in regards to his feelings for Teyla. John had tried to convince Ronon that he felt nothing for Teyla beyond tremendous respect and close friendship but the perceptive Satedan wasn't fooled.

It wasn't that Ronon had anything in particular against Kanaan, or _Him_, as John referred to Torrin's biological father, but he had seen the difference in the way that Teyla looked at Kanaan versus the way she looked at John. There was no denying that she cared for Kanaan, but it seemed to be a bland, easy friendship, born of knowing each other their entire lives. Even in their mutual grief of losing family and friends to the Wraith, she and Kanaan had not bonded as closely as had Teyla and John.

Only after Jennifer, Radek, and Lorne left to return to their respective job duties, did Ronon speak. "She looked tired. Did she say if something happened during her stay with her people?"

John shook his head. "No, she just said it was a good visit but that's all. It seems like every time she goes there though, she comes back even more upset, and it takes longer and longer for her to get over it."

"Kanaan is pressuring her to move there." The words were thrown out in Rodney's typical super-quick way of talking and he looked guilty the instant he said it. As Ronon and John stared at him, he shrugged. "What? She uh…she talked to Jennifer about it the last time she came back from a visit and Jennifer told…me."

"Then why didn't _you_ tell _us_, Rodney?" John said through gritted teeth and glared until the scientist flinched. Ronon also shot Rodney a dirty look but NOT, the Satedan told himself, because of Rodney mentioning his relationship with Jennifer. No, that didn't bother Ronon at all – or at least not so much anymore. Not since a certain very pretty 'gate technician with kickboxing skills had claimed his attention.

Rodney again flashed a guilty look. "Well, I thought that if she wanted everyone to know, then she would have mentioned it herself. It wasn't my place to tell." At this, Rodney paused and tried to look indignant but failed miserably. Sighing, he finally muttered. "Okay, okay, I just didn't want to tell you guys – I was hoping she would."

"Well, she didn't!" exclaimed John hotly. He shoved his food away, having now lost his appetite. "I knew this would happen – that she would eventually take Torrin and go live with _Him_." John's disgust was evident.

Ronon eyed his friend speculatively. "And yet, she's still here – on Atlantis, isn't she? You ever wonder why that is?"

John glanced up but was unable to maintain Ronon's stare. "No – I don't wonder _why _that is!" he said a little peevishly.

"Well maybe you should!" Ronon was practically glaring at John now.

"What are you getting at, Ronon? It's her life – her choice. If she wants to leave, there's nothing I can do about it!"

"You could give her a reason to stay." Ronon said quietly but emphatically and then rose, shoving his chair away, and leaving the mess hall.

John just watched Ronon's retreat with a shocked look on his face. He turned to Rodney. "What was that all about? How can _I_ give her any reason to stay on Atlantis?"

Rodney stared back at him open-mouthed. "Are you purposely being dense?"

John's eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell's that supposed to mean, McKay?"

Rodney shook his head almost sadly and frowned. He lowered his voice and leaned towards John. "Look, I know you're going to get mad at me but I'm just going to say this anyway." He took a deep breath and continued. "You feel so damn much for her that it scares the crap out of you. And I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about you. She's conflicted and confused and if you don't tell her how you feel…you're going to lose her."

With that little speech, Rodney rose to leave as well. John remained seated at the table, looking down at his hands, his chest heaving slightly. Feeling bad for him, Rodney lingered a moment. "I…I'm sorry, John. It's just that I see you and Teyla both fighting so hard to not let it show how you feel about each other, but the truth is – it _does_ show. I'm not sure why it scares you so much but it scares her too. Go talk to her, John. Go talk to her…before it's too late."

Rodney had only taken a few steps when John's voice quiet voice stopped him. "I can't be what she needs."

Turning back to him, Rodney quirked an eyebrow and replied "You should ask _her_ what she thinks about that."

John remained in the mess hall for a little while longer, contemplating what Rodney had said. Were his feelings for Teyla so obvious to everyone? That thought made John extremely uncomfortable. He was the military leader of this expedition and everyone looked to him for guidance and stability. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of his duty.

But did that mean he had to deny himself a chance at happiness – at love? Finally, sitting in that damned uncomfortable chair in the mess hall, surrounded by discarded food trays, John admitted it to himself – he loved her. He loved Teyla and couldn't imagine his life without her in it – didn't want to imagine it. But did she really feel the same way? And if she did, then why had she chosen to be with _Him_ – to have a baby with _Him_?

Still muddled, John wandered towards the gym. He found Ronon there, attempting to beat the stuffing out of a large punching bag.

"You imagining my face on that thing?" John asked casually.

Ronon just grunted and continued punching for several minutes. Finally, he stopped and looked over at John, breathing heavily. "It's good for gettin' your frustrations out. You should try it. I'm sure you have a face to put on it."

John smirked. "Yeah, I can think of one."

Then John's face fell and he sat down heavily on a bench. "That's the thing, Ronon. She's tied to _Him_. I mean, don't get me wrong, Torrin's great and I wouldn't have him gone for anything, but she chose to be with _Him…_and have a baby with _Him_."

Ronon's voice rumbled. "Yeah, she _was_ with somebody else. You're really going to hold that against her after you've been with _how_ many other women since you got to Atlantis? And you know as well as I do that she didn't intend to get pregnant."

"But that's just it – there's a child involved now. That changes things – a lot. Torrin might have been an accident, but he's very real, Ronon. And it can really screw a kid up not to have his father around."

"And it could be pretty great to have _two_ fathers that really care about you too" Ronon said quietly.

The big man continued, looking intensely at John. "Look, if she really wanted to be with _Him_, she'd be there right now. Those are her people. She was their leader and she gave that up to come live here. At first it was so she could make a difference in fighting the Wraith. But now – now that she's got a kid to raise, what do you think keeps her here?" He raised an eyebrow at John, challenging him to come up with an answer to that question.

John just stared at him, dumb-founded. "You think she's here because of _me_? And even if she is, how am I supposed to live with the guilt of keeping her away from her people – of keeping Torrin away from his father?"

"As you pointed out, John – it's her choice to make. You should give her a chance to make that choice. Tell her how you feel."

John stared out through the large windows and spoke quietly. "What if I let her down, Ronon? I tried long-term once and I sucked at it – big time. If I screw this up, I'll lose her friendship – and likely yours and Rodney's too!"

"So don't screw it up."

John glanced over at him, mildly irritated. "Easy for you to say. This is a big deal! I mean, she's on my team _and_ she has a kid by somebody else. _And_ we risk our lives on a regular basis. What if something happens to her? How do I live with that after having been with her?"

Ronon's voice was gruff with restrained emotion. "Hurts like hell. But it'd hurt more if you didn't have the memories of being with her to keep you sane. And if something did happen to her, wouldn't you want her to have known how you felt about her?"

John looked over at Ronon again and saw that his friend's jaw was clenched and his hands were knotted into fists. "I'm sorry, Ronon. I didn't think…" And he hadn't thought – thought about how Ronon had lost his love in a Wraith attack and how devastating that must have been for him.

Ronon shook it off. "It was a long time ago. And yeah, it still hurts, but like I said, it'd hurt more if I hadn't told her I loved her, if I hadn't shown her, _and_ if I didn't know for sure that she loved me back. I wouldn't change a thing about our time together. Can you say the same for you and Teyla?"

John shook his head slowly. "No…no I can't."

"Don't let your fear cause you to have regrets."

One corner of John's mouth turned up. "How'd you go from Chewbacca to Obi-Wan?" Ronon just looked at him confused.

John chuckled lightly. "Never mind." He sat there a while longer, lost in his own thoughts, and then finally spoke again. "Guess I'll go knock on Teyla's door. I've got some things to talk to her about – at the urging of couple of nosy friends."

Ronon just grinned at him in response. He watched John slowly exit the gym then he hung his head and briefly let the grief of losing Melena wash over him again. He sat like that until he heard someone quietly enter the gym.

Looking up, Ronon's eyes met those of Amelia Banks, who smiled warmly at him. He felt his heart open again – just a little, and knew that Melena would be happy that he was finally able to deal with her death and go on with his life.


	2. Chapter 2

John took the long way to Teyla's quarters, going over in his mind what he would say once he got there. What was he supposed to say – hey glad you're back, don't ever leave again, oh and by the way I've loved you since just about the very first second I ever laid eyes on you.

What if he told her that he loved her and she still decided to go live with _Him_? They did have a child together after all. She would always be tied to _Him_ through Torrin. The insecurities just kept running in circles in his mind.

He was a few feet from her door when suddenly the microphone in his ear crackled to life. "Colonel Sheppard, we've received a distress call through the 'gate from the Athosian settlement."

John immediately switched to military mode. "Roger that. I'll get Teyla and be there in five." He ran his palm over the door sensor, his heart pounding. This was SO not what he had had in mind when he contemplated coming to talk to her.

Teyla answered the door looking disheveled and pale. At first John thought she had already heard of the trouble with the Athosians but then he quickly realized she hadn't when she seemed totally surprised to see him.

"John? What is it?" Teyla could see that he was shaken.

"We just got a distress call from the Athosian settlement. I don't know any details." Her face turned even whiter as he gazed at her and she swayed just slightly but then grit her teeth and squared her shoulders.

"Give me a moment to get Torrin."

When John and Teyla arrived at the 'gate room, they found Ronon, Rodney, and Woolsey already there. "What was the nature of the call?" John demanded.

"This is all we got, Sir." Chuck played it back for them all to hear.

"Atlantis, this is Halling from the Athosian settlement. We are under attack. Atlantis, do you…"

"That is all of the message?" Teyla asked shakily.

"I'm afraid so, Ma'am."

Teyla's knees threatened to buckle but John reached out and steadied her with a comforting grip on her elbow. She turned to him with a pleading look. "John, we must go – now!"

John nodded his head in agreement at the same time that Jennifer approached Teyla and reached out her hands for Torrin. "I'll take him, Teyla. And if…if you need a medical team, just call back. I'll make sure Torrin's safe with one of the nurses and be right behind you guys."

Teyla's eyes misted over as she thanked Jennifer. She then kissed the top of Torrin's head as Jennifer held him and then quickly followed John and the rest of the team to gear up.

Lorne and his team met them at the bottom of the stairs. "We're ready, Sir – if you want some backup." John nodded in appreciation and led the way to the weapons lockers.

As they came through the 'gate, they could smell smoke but heard nothing. They jogged the short distance through the woods and came out the other side with weapons at the ready. Halling saw them first and made his way carefully towards them, limping badly.

"Halling! What happened? Who did this?" Teyla's voice was frantic.

"I did not recognize them and they did not say much while they were here so I am unsure of their origin."

"Was anyone else hurt?" Teyla demanded. John's heart constricted, knowing that Teyla was probably thinking of _Him_. He viciously tried to stifle his jealousy and chastised himself mentally for being so petty when people were injured.

"Several suffered shocks from some kind of energy weapons, but they appear to be recovering. There was little hand-to-hand fighting but a few did receive cuts and possible fractures."

Lorne stepped away to report back to Atlantis and request medical assistance.

"Teyla." Halling gripped her arm tightly. "Teyla, a few of the women were…taken. We are still trying to determine who exactly is missing. We could use your assistance."

Teyla immediately set out for the camp. John issued orders that Ronon and Lorne check around the 'gate for clues about the kidnappers and for Rodney to get to work figuring out exactly where they might have gone, then he took Lorne's men and followed after Teyla.

When John rounded the first tent, he was rewarded with the image of Teyla and _Him_ in a traditional Athosian embrace, their foreheads touching. John's stomach clenched again and he turned away from the sight. He curtly put Lorne's men to work helping the Athosians straighten up the camp.

It was finally determined that a total of seven young women had been taken. With Radek's help, Rodney thought he had found the last 'gate address dialed. Woolsey was informed of the situation and okay'd a rescue mission to retrieve the kidnapped women. As John was discussing strategy with his and Lorne's teams, Teyla spoke up. "Some of the Athosians have offered their assistance."

John grimaced. "Look, Teyla. I don't think that's such a great idea. I mean, the offer is much appreciated but we don't know what we're up against here and I don't want to put any more civilians in harm's way."

"I understand that John, but they wish to help in getting our people back, if that is possible. They are not content to just sit here and do nothing. The ones that will be going are trained in Earth weapons and are very good at hand-to-hand combat."

Sighing in resignation, John nodded in agreement reluctantly. "Let's move out."

To his dismay, John belatedly realized that _He_ was included in the group of Athosian volunteers. Great, just great! Now John would have their relationship shoved squarely in his face. His stomach turned over at the images that immediately came to mind.

Teyla, for her part, was also very nervous about Kanaan coming with them on the rescue mission. She had tried for many months to figure out exactly how she felt about the father of her child. He had been her friend since childhood and she felt fondly for him but that was really all there was – fondness. There were no strong feelings of attraction for the only man she had ever slept with. Teyla had spent many hours berating herself mentally for that fact.

She felt guilty for using Kanaan simply to gain comfort at a time when she had found herself so lonely for companionship. She would never truly regret it, because of the creation of her beautiful son, but she often wondered if things might have turned out differently had she been more honest with herself and with John about the way she felt about him.

Involuntarily, her eyes wandered over to John, only to find his eyes on her as they trekked back to the 'gate. He looked away quickly but not before she had seen the anxious look on his face. She wondered if he was just on edge thinking of the possible dangers they could run into – or was something else bothering him?

Ever since Torrin had been born, and her people freed from Michael's clutches, John had been different. He appeared to adore Torrin and he continued to treat Teyla with respect, but things were tense between them now. The easy friendship they had enjoyed prior to her pregnancy was gone. It saddened her to think that things would never be the same between them again.

"Teyla?" Kanaan spoke from beside her. "Are you alright?"

"I am simply worried about our people, Kanaan." With that, she hurried on ahead in order to distance herself from her former lover's prying eyes and questions.

Kanaan glanced over at John, only to find the Colonel's gaze following Teyla. Although it had never been mentioned, he knew that Teyla and Colonel Sheppard were attracted to one another. A man would have to be blind not to see it – and Kanaan suffered no visual impairments. In fact, he actually wished he weren't seeing things quite SO clearly at the moment.

When Teyla had begun frequently visiting New Athos aproximately two years before and spending more time in his company, Kanaan had thought (hoped really) that she was finally through with Atlantis – and with Colonel Sheppard. He realized now though, watching John watch her, that that would never be the case. Teyla's heart was planted firmly in Atlantis, even if her roots were not.

Sighing to himself, Kanaan resolved to talk to Teyla about their relationship once this crisis was over. He cared for her deeply and could no longer stand to see her so torn apart. Although he wished with all his heart that she would return to him and that they would be bonded and raise their son together, Kanaan knew it was not what she truly wanted.

He felt guilty for the pressure he had been placing on her to choose between him and Atlantis. Besides, it had done him no good – and would likely have the opposite effect if he continued. Of course, this last bit of wisdom had come from Halling, who had been very "honest" with Kanaan right after Teyla's last departure for Atlantis. Kanaan actually grimaced at the memory of that uncomfortable talk.

John noticed the unhappy look on _His_ face and his mood improved just a bit. Double-timing it, he moved to catch up with Teyla.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: I decided to go ahead and post Chapter 3 to give you all some actual romantic interaction between John and Teyla. It's not too much but it's there and this is just the beginning, I promise!_

The first planet that they arrived at actually showed no signs that anyone had been anywhere near the 'gate for quite a while.

"McKay, I thought you said this was it?" John didn't hide his irritation.

"Oh yes, yes – blame me why don't you? There were, quite literally, several hundred addresses to choose from and I was able to narrow it down to just a few possibilities but noooooo, that's not good enough…"

"Just dial up your _second_ best guess, Rodney" sighed John.

On the next planet, they immediately picked up the tracks of a group of humans travelling on foot. It appeared that some people were being pushed or dragged along at times. Ronon felt certain that this was the group with the Athosian prisoners.

"Ha!" Rodney said as he traipsed past John – and then promptly tripped over his own foot and almost fell.

Teyla and John exchanged amused glances and fell into step behind Ronon who was continuously scanning the ground for tracks.

The kidnappers were actually moving very quickly, even with their prisoners in tow and it took several hours before John and the rest were able to get within visual distance of them. "They're not even bothering to cover their tracks. What's up with that?" John asked Ronon.

Ronon shrugged. "Don't know but it looks like they're making camp. I think night's gonna fall pretty quick. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that we should wait til they make camp and maybe relax their guard a little and then sneak in and surround them – then yeah, I'm thinking what you're thinking."

After a few moments, John and Ronon moved to return to their small camp on the other side of a rise from the kidnappers. There was only a very small fire as they were trying to remain undetected and keep the element of surprise on their side. Food was being unpacked and passed around quietly along with fresh water.

Teyla rose from her position near the fire and met John and Ronon out of earshot of the others. "They are making camp for the night?" She inquired, looking straight at John.

"Yeah. Looks like they have all the women in one tent and no one seems to be bothering them much except to make sure they don't attempt escape."

Teyla was relieved. "That is good. I was worried they might…hurt them."

John knew exactly what she was thinking. "No. They don't look like anyone has touched them, Teyla." She flashed a relieved glance at him and then looked as if she wanted to speak again but changed her mind and remained silent.

Ronon cleared his throat. "Well, I'm gonna, uh, go get something to eat." He left John and Teyla there, hoping that his two friends would actually talk to one another this time.

Teyla looked up and caught John studying her face intently. She frowned slightly and gave him a questioning look. "You have been looking at me like that ever since I returned today. What is wrong, John?"

He sighed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just worried…about you. You've been tense all day – even before this all happened. You know… visits with the Athosians used to relax you, but lately they seem to…upset you or something. I just wondered what's changed."

Teyla looked away guiltily. "I just feel…very torn, John. Like wherever I am – I should be someplace else. There is so much expected of me and I…" She trailed off looking completely miserable.

"Oh, hey, Teyla. Look, it's okay. Geez, I know it's been hard to stay on Atlantis, stay on the team _and_ be a mom _and_ make sure you're there for your people too, but the way I see it – you're doing a great job of it. And…I'm sorry you're feeling so much pressure on you right now."

John paused but then decided, what the hell, he'd just go ahead and tell her what he was thinking. "In fact, that's one of the reasons that I've…kind of…stayed away from you these past few months. I didn't think you needed anyone else taking up more of your time."

His heart was pounding as he studied the top of her bent head. Finally, she looked up at him and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "You did not think that I had time for…you?"

John shrugged. "Well, you've got Torrin now and he comes first and you already have to spend a lot of time away from him and I know you hate that, so when you _do_ have some down time – I just figured I'd leave you alone, you know?"

Teyla's words were low but clear. "I have missed spending time with you, John."

His eyes flew to her face, his mouth suddenly dry. "I've missed it to."

With barely a foot of space between them, they stood apart from the group, looking into each other's eyes. And although they were both aware that they were being observed, they still found themselves inexplicably drawn towards each other.

It was John who moved first, not at all sure what she would do. He simply opened his arms. With no hesitation, Teyla stepped into them, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly.

John couldn't contain a small sigh of satisfaction at how right and good it felt to hold her. She fit perfectly against him, her head under his chin. He hugged her just a little tighter and felt Teyla fist her hands in the t-shirt stretched across his lower back. He bent his head and laid his cheek against her hair. Teyla turned her head so that her ear was pressed against his chest. She could hear the comforting, steady rhythm of his heart.

They stood like that for a while, neither one saying anything – just offering and taking comfort from one another. At one point, Teyla shed a few silent tears that dampened the front of his shirt. John shut his eyes tight and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The desire to seek out her lips with his own was almost overwhelming and he had to fight hard against acting on it.

Raising his head, he felt several pairs of eyes observing them. And although it wasn't clear in the growing darkness, John was sure that _He_ was probably shooting some pretty pissed looks their way, but John didn't really give a damn at the moment. Teyla needed his comfort – wanted him to hold her – and nothing could have stopped him from doing so.

Finally, she pulled back slightly and loosened her arms from around his waist. She looked up at him and swiped at the remaining moisture on her cheeks. Almost shyly, she spoke softly. "I believe I got your shirt wet."

One corner of John's mouth quirked up. "S'okay. You feel better?" She nodded affirmatively but wasn't able to speak again due to the emotion his gentle question evoked.

"C'mon, let's go get something to eat." John made to step away from her but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"John."

He turned back toward her and put his hand over hers. The look in his eyes was intense. "Let's finish this conversation back on Atlantis after this is all over with, okay?"

She gave him a small, hopeful smile. "I would like that very much." John's heart sped up as he gazed into her eyes for a moment longer.

They approached the small fire side-by-side and sure enough, he found Kanaan's eyes regarding them solemnly. John lowered himself to a log and felt great satisfaction when Teyla sat down beside him instead of joining Kanaan on the opposite side of the camp.

She handed John an MRE at the same time he passed her his canteen of water. That they were once again feeling very at ease and comfortable with each other was obvious to those around them, most of all to Kanaan who continued to watch them closely.


	4. Chapter 4

John and Ronon led the group quietly towards the kidnappers' camp. The intent was to surround the men and force them to surrender their prisoners with as little force as necessary. No one wanted the women to be caught in the crossfire, if it should break out.

"Teyla" John spoke in a low voice. "You think you can get into that tent without being seen?" He knew that she was very good at stealth and that her small size would be an advantage. Plus, there was the added bonus that the Athosian women would readily recognize her and hopefully not raise an alarm.

"I can" was her quiet but confident reply as she began to move from his side.

"Hey" John hissed and then called softly "Be careful."

Teyla nodded and moved carefully through the trees to the largest tent in the back of the encampment.

The rest of John's group spread out quietly to surround what they hoped was a band of unsuspecting men. A few yards out, John and Ronon both sensed that something was wrong.

"Ronon, how many did you count earlier?"

"A lot more than I do now. You think they're _all_ in that other tent asleep?"

"I don't know – but something doesn't feel right here. It's too quiet." The hairs on the back of John's neck prickled.

Suddenly, Teyla's panicked voice rang out. "John! It's a trap!" Her cries were immediately muffled but John was already on the move toward her position.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" He cursed to himself even as he watched warily. He should have known better he thought to himself. This had all been too damn easy – and obviously a set up.

John heard Ronon's gun roar and then all hell broke loose around him. A couple of men from Lorne's team as well as two of the Athosian men went down. Oddly enough, John and Kanaan ended up practically back-to-back, firing in opposite directions.

Shooting halted suddenly as Teyla was dragged out into the circle of flickering light given off by the center fire. A large man pulled her along with a grip on her hair and a knife to her neck. Her shirt was torn slightly and the man holding her was sporting a huge whelp on the side of his face that John was sure had been compliments of Teyla.

The man's voice rang out clearly "Put your weapons down and leave now or I _will_ cut her throat." John's heart constricted painfully and he ground his teeth. Damn, but he hated being in this kind of position!

"I will NOT say it again!" Mr. Big-N-Ugly yelled out. John and the others had no choice but to lower their weapons to the ground. Within seconds they were surrounded by other large men who kicked their guns away and roughly shoved them towards the camp.

John's gaze held Teyla's firmly as he was forced forward. She looked a little shaken but mostly just mad – most likely at herself for being caught in their trap. "That's my girl – full of spit n grit" John mused to himself proudly.

John, Ronon, Lorne, and Kanaan were tied securely at their hands and ankles to a couple of large trees. All the others of their group were left out in the woods. Whether they were dead or merely unconscious, John didn't know. He glared daggers at the men who held them.

"You're making a big mistake – holding us like this." One of the men approached John and smiled – and then abruptly back-handed him across the mouth. John righted his head, rolled his tongue around in his mouth and promptly spit blood in the man's face. Shocked, the man reared back to hit John again only to be called off by their presumed leader, Mr. Big-N-Ugly himself.

"Enough! That is not what we came for!" He began issuing orders to his men to pack up their campsite quickly. They roughly guided the protesting women to begin walking in the direction of the 'gate. John noticed that the leader stayed close to Teyla and as they neared the tied men, he spoke directly to John.

"If you follow us again, I will kill you."

John didn't bat an eye. "And if you take her, _I_ will kill _you_."

The man simply laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the universe and turned to Teyla. "He fights hard to keep you. Perhaps I should kill him now and save myself some trouble later, yes?"

Teyla's eyes flashed in anger which seemed to amuse the man even more. He merely laughed again and continued shoving her away. John fought hard against the ropes that bound him and called out after them, hoping to provoke the man – to get him to stay or say something useful about where they were going.

Teyla turned back to John quickly. "John, no! Now is NOT the time." She gave him a meaningful look which he took to mean that she would be doing all she could to escape while also trying to leave a trail for them to follow. "I will be alright" she spoke firmly.

John's eyes never wavered from hers even as she was pulled away. "I _will_ get you back" he said more to himself than her but she heard him and her lips twitched.

Then they were gone, swallowed up by the darkness. And even as all of the men fought to loosen the ropes holding them, they heard the 'gate swoosh to life briefly and then nothing.

John swore viciously under his breath at the thought of Teyla being in the hands of those men. He was focusing on getting himself free when Ronon nudged him. "There's something out there – moving around those trees to the left of us."

They all quieted and clearly heard underbrush rustling loudly. "What is it?" Lorne hissed.

"Not sure" claimed Ronon. "But whatever it is – it's pretty big – and clumsy." About that time, Rodney McKay burst through the trees and headed straight for the tied men.

"Rodney! Are you alright? Where have you been? I thought you were shot!" John was tremendously relieved to see the scientist alive and well.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I took a dive and they never came back to check on me. The others are still unconscious out there. Hey, did you guys get a good look at those energy weapons they had? I would sure love to get my hands on –"

"Rodney!" John cut the babbling short.

"What?" Rodney glared down at them. And then seeing the looks he was getting, Rodney quickly stammered "Oh! Oh yeah, I guess you guys would like some help getting out of those ropes, huh?"

"Ya think?" muttered Lorne.

"McKay!" Rodney jumped at Ronon's loud voice. "I've got a knife in my boot, if you can get to it."

"Which boot?"

"Pick one!" Ronon fired back.

Lorne and John smirked at that. Even Kanaan chuckled a little. John glanced over at him, finally seeing past his jealousy just a little bit to give the man some due credit.

'Hey, uh…thanks for sticking with us out there. You dropped about as many as I did, I think."

Without replying, Kanaan rose to his feet now that he was free of the ropes. He reached down a hand to help John up. It was his way of calling a truce, at least for now, and John accepted it for what it was.

The two men stood eye-to-eye for a few seconds until Ronon cleared his throat loudly and spoke for both of them. "Let's go get her back."

John nodded and took charge once again. "McKay! Get to work on that DHD. See if you can figure out where they went."

"Don't need to" came Rodney's smug reply. "I watched them dial it up!"

"Well, way to go McKay! And here I thought you'd just been cowering in the bushes this whole time" John snarked.

"Hey! If I'm remembering correctly – and I am – I just saved _your_ sorry asses!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're a hero – now just dial the damn 'gate, McKay" came Ronon's grumbling reply.


	5. Chapter 5

They came through the 'gate with weapons at the ready, not at all sure what they would find. John truly expected an ambush of some kind but nothing happened as they moved from the 'gate and began scouting around.

"Lots of tracks!" Ronon muttered as he carefully studied the ground.

"Colonel, you wanna come take a look at this?" Lorne had climbed a small rise and could see a large settlement of some kind a short distance away.

As they approached it, they could see that it was actually a fairly large town full of people, with many outdoor vendor stalls overflowing with all kinds of items for sale. There were several well-used roads leading into and out of the town – the most prominent being the short one leading to the 'gate.

"Wow. Busy place. Some kind of trading outpost maybe?" Lorne mused.

"I've been here before" Ronon said suddenly. "You can buy or trade for just about anything here – if you've got something of value to give for it." He then looked around at John meaningfully. "A big part of the trading here…is slave trading."

John felt his stomach turn over. Slave trading and Teyla were two things that he did NOT want to think about together. "Okay." He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Let's split up into two groups and approach from two different ends of town. We'll plan to meet at that center open area unless one of us finds something first. Keep in constant radio contact. Understood?"

Lorne and his men, along with two of the Athosians took off at a fast walk. They kept their guns down but remained alert for any signs of trouble.

John took the lead of his group and hadn't gone too far when he thought he saw one of the men who had taken Teyla and the rest of the Athosian women. John abruptly changed directions and approached one of the street merchants. "Say, friend. I was wondering if you could help me out."

The merchant eyed him warily. "That depends on what you need – friend."

"Right" John smiled easily. "Well, you see…we were actually looking for some…companionship – if you know what I mean." John emphasized his point by nodding his head at a passing young woman.

The merchant returned the smile knowingly. "Ah, I see! Well, you are in luck today, my friend. Very shortly there will be a large assortment of…choices from which you should be able to find the…companionship you seek. _If_ you can pay, that is."

"Oh" John smiled tightly "I don't think we'll have any trouble getting what we want. Is there any way we can…oh you know, maybe preview these…choices?"

The merchant nodded happily. "Oh certainly! There is a large building just past the center of town. Feel free to…browse as you like."

John turned away from the merchant quickly before the man could see the disgusted look on John's face. He walked away to radio Lorne to let him know where they were headed and cautioned him to keep a sharp eye out for Big-N-Ugly and his men.

As it turned out, Teyla and the other Athosian women were not inside the building. They were, in fact, being herded out toward a raised wooden platform – apparently to be some of the first slaves put up for sale.

John was quick to spot her and he began quickly maneuvering his way to her location with Ronon right behind him. When Teyla finally caught sight of him, the relief was evident on her face. He approached her quickly. "You alright?"

At her affirmative nod, he spoke again "Gonna get you outta here." It immediately reminded her of when he came to her rescue while she was in labor with Torrin aboard Michael's ship and her heart warmed at the memory.

Lorne and his men joined them at about the same time that one of the slave traders noticed how close John and the others were to his "merchandise." The man called out to John to step back from Teyla so that others could have a chance to look.

John turned casually but his hands were in position on his P-90 and his voice was dangerously angry. "These women were taken against their will and we've come to take them home."

Uneasy under John's deadly glare, the man called out a little uncertainly "Where…where are you from?"

"Atlantis" was John's succinct reply. "Ever heard of it?"

"_You_ are the ones who live in the city of the Ancients?" The man had heard rumors but was astounded to be seeing the Atlanteans up close and personal. He was overwhelmed and a little unnerved after hearing from so many other people what good allies and REALLY bad enemies the Atlanteans made.

"That's right, we are. And these" he indicated the women captives "are our friends. They're Athosian. And we don't take kindly to the fact that our_ friends_ were forced from their homes at gunpoint and brought here to be sold as slaves."

John took a breath and glanced around at the gathering crowd. "Now, as I said – we're taking these women back to their home. And if you ever want a chance in hell of having the assistance, cooperation, and possibly the protection of Atlantis, I suggest you let us leave peacefully."

Although the man was obviously angry, he reluctantly approached the Athosian women and began releasing the shackles from around their wrists. He had scanned the crowd and noticed that no one seemed willing to cross these newcomers with their strange weapons.

The slave trader started by unlocking Teyla's shackles and she immediately stepped closer to John. He was turned away from her, between her and the townspeople. John felt her hand on his back and his shoulders relaxed a bit at the reassurance her light touch brought.

"Let's take this slow 'n easy now." John said quietly to his people. He began to slowly move away from the platform with Teyla and the other Athosian women right behind him. The crowd parted for them and Ronon, Lorne and the others circled around the women.

They had only gotten a few yards when John suddenly found himself shoved forward. He didn't have time to react as a shot rang out followed closely by the roar of Ronon's gun.

From a nearby low rooftop, Mr. Big-N-Ugly fell face down into the street. John quickly stood up and turned around but then froze in his tracks, his heart stuttering to a stop.

Teyla lay on the ground with a slowly spreading stain of blood on her lower back. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen the gunman and had simply reacted without thought and pushed John down and out of the way.

John fell to his knees beside her and gently turned her over. A med kit materialized in his peripheral vision and Lorne began applying pressure to the wound. "Teyla!" John's voice was raspy with fear.

Her eyes blinked slowly. "John?" She looked up at him confused for a moment.

"Bullet went through but can't tell what kind of damage it did. She's losing a lot of blood, Colonel. We need to get her back to Atlantis." Lorne's voice was tight with worry and John could hear Ronon swearing loudly somewhere behind him.

John looked up and found Rodney's wide panicked eyes on him. "Rodney, take some men and go get the 'gate open – NOW! Radio Atlantis – tell 'em we have an emergency. Have Jennifer meet us in the 'gate room." John tone was clipped as he issued orders.

With Lorne still applying pressure to her abdomen, John moved to pick Teyla up but was stopped by Ronon's hand on his shoulder. John looked up in confusion and saw that a couple of townspeople were carrying something similar to a stretcher over to them.

"Here" a woman with a sad face said. "You can carry her more quickly on this and not jostle the wound as much."

John and Ronon moved Teyla onto the stretcher as gently and quickly as they could. It was carefully hoisted by Ronon and one of Lorne's men and the group began to move up the road toward the 'gate at a fairly fast clip. Not one townsperson spoke or tried to stop them as they left.

John quickly shook out another gauze pack and took over from Lorne at her side, his heart pounding with dread. He was concentrating on keeping constant pressure on her wound and hadn't noticed that her eyes were still on his face.

When he felt her fingers come up to brush his arm, his eyes quickly shifted to hers and he tried to smile reassuringly. "Hey" he said, closing his left hand gently around hers. "We'll be Atlantis in a coupla minutes, okay? Don't worry – the doc's gonna fix you up in no time."

Teyla tried to smile back at him but the pain caused her to grimace. John gripped her hand a little tighter and he glanced away trying to regain some composure.

It was then that John noticed Kanaan there, on the other side of the stretcher, his face grim with worry for Teyla as he walked quickly to keep up. As John watched, Kanaan moved to take her other hand in his.

"How appropriate" John thought morosely to himself. "She's still being pulled between us."


	6. Chapter 6

They made it to the 'gate in record time and were through the event horizon in seconds. Jennifer and her team rushed over to them as soon as they stepped through with Teyla.

Jennifer took over from John at Teyla's side. She glanced up at him. "You hurt, Colonel?"

John shook his head viciously. "No. Blood's hers. She pushed me out of the way of a bullet."

Jennifer grimaced sympathetically. "We'll take care of her."

"See that you do, Doc." John muttered as Teyla was whisked into surgery.

Ronon came to check on John a short time later, only to find him slumped down on the floor, against the outer infirmary wall. "Hey" the larger man grunted. "Any news?"

John shook his head but kept his gaze down at the floor. He was sitting with his knees drawn up, his wrists resting on them.

Ronon slid down the wall across the narrow hallway from John and came to rest with his feet stretched out in front of him. "The Athosians have all gone home, except for Kanaan. No serious injuries – other than Teyla."

John nodded in appreciation for the update but still didn't look up. He just couldn't muster the strength. Finally he sighed deeply and leaned his head back against the wall with a dull thud.

"Colonel?" It was Jennifer coming around the corner. She was still wearing the blue scrubs she had worn for the surgery and John felt bile rising in the back of his throat at all of the blood on them – Teyla's blood.

John still didn't rise. His legs just seemed to be made of rubber at the moment. Jennifer squatted down until she was eye level with him. "She's going to be okay. The bullet passed through with no harm to any vital organs. I've repaired the damage as best I can and she should be fine after she's had a chance to heal. She won't be awake for a few more hours though so why don't you go get some rest?"

Jennifer looked to Ronon for help at John's dazed look and lack of response. Ronon stood and reached to pull John up by the arm. John rose a little clumsily but seemed clearer when he looked at Jennifer again.

"Can I" he began but then cleared his throat in order to continue. "Can I see her – just for a minute, Doc? I just…I just need to see for myself that she's okay, you know?"

Sympathy and understanding were reflected on Jennifer's face. "Okay, but just for a minute." She led John toward the infirmary. Ronon hung back, watching them go.

Turning to leave, Ronon saw that Kanaan had entered the hallway at some point with Torrin in his arms. Ronon noticed the Athosian's tenseness. "Did you hear? Teyla's gonna be okay. Doc says we can see her in a while."

Kanaan nodded. "Yes, I heard. Thank you." He turned to go when Ronon stopped him.

"Hey, Kanaan. Torrin's okay?"

Kanaan smiled at the mention of his son but it seemed like it took much effort. "Yes. Yes, he is. I fear that I am having trouble getting him to sleep though. No doubt he misses his mother."

"Yeah, probably so." Ronon approached them and began making faces at Torrin who giggled in response.

The two men walked away from the infirmary and back towards the room that Kanaan had been given for the night. Kanaan cleared his throat and spoke without looking at Ronon. "Colonel Sheppard – he is a good man, yes?"

Surprised at this question, Ronon nodded. "Yeah, he is. One of the best I've ever known."

The next quiet question made Ronon's step falter. "He will take good care of her – and our son?"

Ronon stopped and turned to look Kanaan square in the eye. "He will."

Still looking solemn, Kanaan entered his room with Torrin. This left Ronon free to go back to the infirmary and collect John.

He found the Colonel standing at the foot of Teyla's bed. He touched his arm briefly and indicated for John to follow him outside.

Once out in the hallway, Ronon spoke gruffly. "Go get cleaned up, Sheppard. You don't want her to see you looking like that when she wakes up.

John looked down at his clothes. They were wrinkled and dirty – and stained with Teyla's blood. "I don't know if I can do this, Ronon. I always thought I was strong, that I could take just about anything, but this…damn, I just don't know.

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically and walked with him until they reached John's quarters. "See you back in the infirmary in a little while?" Ronon asked but John's only response was a quick nod.

It seemed like ages ago that he had last left his room but in fact, it had been less than two days. So much had changed in that time. His emotions had been all over the place and John now found himself both mentally and physically exhausted.

He took a shower, shaved, and attempted to sleep but his mind refused to cooperate. The disturbing image of Teyla laying there bleeding kept playing in his head.

Only an hour and a half after leaving the infirmary, John was back at Teyla's bedside. No wanting to disturb her, he pulled up a chair quietly as close to the bed as he could. Studying her face, he absently rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.

Finally exhaustion overcame him and he lay his head down on the bed next to Teyla's thigh. This is the way Jennifer found him when she came in to check on her newest patient. The doctor just didn't have the heart to wake him after all they had been through the last couple of days.

A few hours later, Teyla blinked her eyes several times and then attempted to keep them open despite the drugs she'd been given. The lights over her bed were dimmed but as she turned her head slightly, she could make out John's form hunched over the bed beside her leg.

She raised a hand slowly and lightly touched his hair. He mumbled and moved just a bit. Teyla looked around the room but saw no one else in the infirmary. She allowed herself the indulgence of running her fingers lightly through his hair again.

This time, John stirred and turned his head toward her. His eyes opened and, startled that she was awake, he sprang up from the chair. "Hey. You're awake. How're you feeling?"

Teyla smiled warmly at him but her voice was a little weak. "To be honest, I have felt better."

John frowned at her and then looked away. His voice was low and gruff with emotion. "Don't ever…don't ever do that again. Scared the hell outta me today!"

Surprise and then pleasure coursed through her at his unexpected admission. She reached to softly touch his hand that lay beside hers on the bed.

At her touch, John looked down at their hands and then turned his over so that their palms met. He turned his hand slightly and curled his fingers up, cupping her small hand in his gently. Teyla remained quiet, fascinated with the emotions she saw playing across his face.

Slowly, John sank back down in the chair beside her bed, still staring at their joined hands. He took in a deep breath and then blew it out before trusting himself to speak. "Teyla, look. There's…there's something I need to tell you – something I should've told you a long time ago –"

Just then, a baby's babbling carried in to them from the hallway. Teyla's eyes lit up at hearing her son, though she was a little saddened at the interruption. She was pretty sure that she knew where this conversation with John was going and it left her feeling a little nervous but also excited and hopeful.

John smiled wanly. "Well, sounds like you have a visitor. I'll just…uh…step out for a little while then."

As he stood and moved to leave, Teyla held fast to his hand. John looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I would…very much like to continue this conversation…soon. There is something that I need to tell you as well." She smiled at him and his heart did the Teyla flip-flop thing again.

John didn't trust himself to speak and so only nodded at her with a small smile on his face, then turned away from her bed when she finally released his hand.

Kanaan stood a few feet away with Torrin in his arms. The two men acknowledged each other with only stiff nods and solemn glances but John couldn't resist ruffling Torrin's hair lightly as he passed them on his way out.

He left the infirmary not knowing that his feelings matched Teyla's exactly – a little nervous but also excited and hopeful.


End file.
